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Monday, October 24, 2016

What Parents Need to Know About The Goth Subculture

They’re
reading books by Edgar Allen Poe, Anne Rice, watching horror movies, and
listening to bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy,
and London After Midnight.

They’re
playing with Oujia boards and hanging out in the cemetery and other spooky
places.

Relax.
You don’t have anything to worry about. Your kid is just a Goth.

What
is a Goth? A Goth is a person who has a darker view of the world. They see the
beauty in things most people would find macabre, strange or unusual.

Many
parents who aren’t Goth or aware of what the Goth Subculture is come up with
preconceived notions about it from their own frame of reference. And that limited
perspective has them making generalizations about Goths that aren’t true.

Many
parents who are religious often believe that Goths are into Satanism and that
their kids are part of a group of Satanists. While many Goths wear religious
symbols like pentagrams, devil’s horns and ankhs, the Goth subculture has
absolutely nothing to do with any religion.

While
quite a few Goths wear religious symbols in their jewelry and clothing, many
are Agnostic. Quite a few are Christian. Some are Jewish and some are Muslim. In
most cases when Goths wear religious symbols it’s not about religion. It’s to make
an ironic statement. Sometimes to make a satirical one.

Some
Goths may collect oddities such as animal bones, jewelry made from animal bones
or taxidermy items. However this isn’t a sign of antisocial behavior. When
Goths buy these items they usually buy them from reputable businesses and make
sure that the animal died of natural causes.

No
Goth believes in harming animals. In fact, many Goths love animals and many have
pets. If an animal is being harmed by someone, oftentimes Goths who will make
an effort to speak out about it or tell the local authorities about the person
participating in animal cruelty.

While
Goths have a darker view of the world, they aren’t dangerous. Most Goths are
pacifistic and don’t believe in violence. In many cases if there’s a
disagreement Goths usually will agree to disagree.

In
the forty plus years the Goth subculture hasn’t been a single act of violence
attributed to Goths. In most cases when there’s an event like a Goth night at a
club or a coffee house or a concert featuring an act with a Goth band such as
The Cure, it usually comes and goes without incident. That can’t be said about
many rap concerts or rock concerts around the world.

Some
parents believe that Goths are a gang. Others believe Goths are cult. However,
Goth isn’t either of those things. Goth is a subculture. And because Goth is a subculture
people are free to come and go as they wish.

For
some kids Goth is a phase. And they find they don’t like it after a year or
two. For others it becomes a way of life.

Unlike gangs and cults, no one recruits
anyone to become a Goth. No one forces anyone to become a Goth. People choose
to be a part of the Goth subculture because they want to be a part of it. In
many cases kids participate in the Goth subculture because they have a darker
view of the world and want to share that view like minded people.

And
that darker view doesn’t mean evil. Most Goths see a positive to many things
people see as macabre, strange or unusual. And they go out of their way to show
the good in those things people perceive as evil.

While
I was writing the Romance Spinsterella and the Young adult/Teen novel
Spellbound I spent three years learning about the Goth Subculture. And after
listening to the music, watching thousands of hours of YouTube videos from
Goths all over the world, and talking to numerous Goths both young and old I
can honestly tell parents they have nothing to worry about if their kids are
part of the Goth subculture. If anything, the Goth subculture is one of the safest
places a kid could be.

I’d
be more worried about a kid into rap and hip-hop than a kid who’s into Goth.
Because most kids into rap and hip hop often get involved with with gun, gangs,
drugs, crime, and violence in an effort to get street cred. The most a mischievous BabyBat will do is try to buy some wine or try to buy a cigarette. And in quite
a few cases older Goths will check them. Oftentimes older Goths will try to
help younger Goths understand that their behavior not only reflects badly on
them, but on the whole subculture overall.

In
many cases kids come into the Goth subculture because they like the music. Some
come in because they like the fashion. However quite a few become a part of the
subculture through other hobbies and interests. Many Goths are comic fans. Some
are Anime and Manga fans. Others are wrestling fans. And they discover what’s
great about the Goth subculture from friends who share those hobbies.

I’ve
seen Goths at comicons, the library and out and about here in New York City. They’re not brooding. They’re not angry.
In most cases they’re smiling, having fun and living life to the fullest. In
most cases they’re some of the nicest people you’ll ever have the pleasure of
meeting. If most parents saw them in public they’d be the kinds of kids they’d
be proud to call their son or daughter.

2 comments:

I don't know but you seem to have a low opinion of evangelical/born-again Christians. I suspect your experiences with them are negative, despite that some people turn to evangelical Christianity after something bad happened to their lives. Some see happiness in being born-again.

ISIS: SAMURAI GODDESS

SPELLBOUND

Isis: Bride of Dracula

Spinsterella

Isis: Night of the Vampires

E'steem: Undercover

About Me

Hi, I'm Shawn James and I'm a man with a lot on my mind. This blog is a place where I'll write essays, promote my self-published, books and display my art.
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